This invention relates in general to vehicle disc brake assemblies and in particular to an improved structure for an anchor bracket and brake shoe assembly adapted for use in such a vehicle disc brake assembly.
Most vehicles are equipped with a brake system for slowing or stopping movement of the vehicle in a controlled manner. A typical brake system for an automobile or light truck includes a disc brake assembly for each of the front wheels and either a drum brake assembly or a disc brake assembly for each of the rear wheels. The brake assemblies are actuated by hydraulic or pneumatic pressure generated when an operator of the vehicle depresses a brake pedal. The structures of these drum brake assemblies and disc brake assemblies, as well as the actuators therefor, are well known in the art.
A typical disc brake assembly includes a rotor which is secured to the wheel of the vehicle for rotation therewith. The disc brake assembly further includes a caliper assembly which is slidably supported on pins secured to an anchor bracket. The anchor bracket is secured to a non-rotatable component of the vehicle, such as the axle flange or steering knuckle, connected to the vehicle frame. The caliper assembly includes a pair of brake shoes which are disposed on opposite sides of the rotor. The brake shoes are connected to one or more hydraulically or pneumatically actuated pistons for movement between a non-braking position, wherein they are spaced apart from opposed axial sides or braking surfaces of the rotor, and a braking position, wherein they are moved into frictional engagement with the opposed braking surfaces of the rotor. When the operator of the vehicle depresses the brake pedal, the piston urges the brake shoes from the non-braking position to the braking position so as to frictionally engage the opposed braking surfaces of the rotor and thereby slow or stop the rotation of the associated wheel of the vehicle.
Typically, the anchor bracket includes a pair of arms interconnected by an inner tie. The anchor bracket includes two pairs of apertures formed therethrough. One of the pairs of apertures is adapted to receive bolts for securing the anchor bracket to the non-rotatable component of the vehicle. The other pair of apertures are adapted to receive bolts or slide pins for slidably supporting the caliper relative to the anchor bracket. In some instances, the anchor bracket may also include an outer tie bar. The arms of the anchor bracket have upstanding guide rails formed thereon for supporting a pair of friction pad assemblies for sliding movement along a pair of anchor bracket guide rails. The friction pad assemblies include friction pads which are disposed on opposite axial sides of the rotor. During braking, the anchor bracket functions to transmit the braking torque through the associated vehicle component to the vehicle frame.
This invention relates to an anchor bracket and brake shoe assembly adapted for use in a disc brake assembly and includes an anchor bracket and a pair of brake shoes supported thereon. The anchor bracket includes an pair of axially and outwardly extending angled arms. The arms include a pair of inboard ends and a pair of outboard ends, at least one of the inboard ends and the outboard ends of the arms being interconnected by a tie bar. Each of the arms includes one of a male end and a female end, the one of the male end and the female end being located along a common arc of the anchor bracket and brake shoe assembly. Each of the brake shoes is generally arcuate in shape and includes a backing plate and a friction pad. Each of said backing plates including opposed ends, the opposed ends being the other one of the male end and the female end and configured so as to generally match the profile of the one of the male end and the female end of the arms so as to slidably support the brake shoes on the arms of the anchor bracket.
Other advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.